Despite his reputation as one of the most famous writers of all time, the personal history of William Shakespeare remains somewhat unknown. While April 23, 1564 is generally accepted as his birth date, many biographers and researchers still debate whether this is accurate or not. His place of birth was Stratford-upon-Avon, which is also where he was baptized (as records indicate) on April 26, 1564.

There is also some mystery surrounding William Shakespeare’s schooling, but many researchers agree that he probably attended King’s New School in Stratford. In 1582, William Shakespeare (then 18) married 26 year old Anne Hathaway, and the pair had three children together.

Records show that several of William Shakespeare’s plays were being produced in London around 1592. After 1594, his plays were exclusively put on by Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a play company owned and operated by a crew of players, including Shakespeare. They eventually opened their own open air amphitheater on the River Thames called The Globe.

Some of his most famous works include: Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and All’s Well That Ends Well, among others. All of his famous plays fall under histories, comedies, tragedies, or tragic comedies.

Much mystery surrounds Shakespeare’s death, although many biographers believe that he died on his birthday in 1616. Nearly two centuries after the death of William Shakespeare, many scholars began to question the authorship of plays allegedly written by him. There are official records that indicate that a William Shakespeare existed, but not that he was an actor or playwright. Many researchers also question whether such a minimally educated person could be responsible for such celebrated works, and if they were actually written by a more distinguished, formally trained writer.